Who Will Breakout On The Gridiron For The Hogs In 2019?

Last week, we reached out for a question of the day with a question on Razorback football. This was one of our more outspoken fan polls.

We had a lot of feedback and the majority of Twitter’s #RazorbackNation exclaimed with this name:

Honestly, there’s no reason to doubt this young freshman who fans are clamoring to have a breakout season, his first on The Hill. Arkansas stole Trey Knox from the heart of the Volunteer State. Many Vol fans said, “He is too slow,” “not as good as his ranking.” From what Knox strung together this spring, he showed he will be a force in the Chad Morris offense that barely had a heartbeat for much of 2018. The former four star receiver could have a big year if he can adapt to SEC play early.

There is no reason to doubt the rising sophomore linebacker, Bumper Pool. This man has the heart to make big plays without being denied, has the instincts in pass coverage in order to disrupt the passing game and is also a sure tackler when the ball carrier is around him. Many fans would compare him to former Hog linebacker, Brooks Ellis. I could not agree anymore with the thought of that as I would often catch myself thinking he is a faster Ellis. Playing alongside fellow linebackers Scoota Harris, look for Pool to make gigantic leaps through the offseason and surprise Razorback fans and SEC teams as a star linebacker on the rise.

Honestly, you cannot go into 2019 without mentioning this man’s name as one to make an immediate impact amongst the defensive line. With the lack of depth this team had in the trenches last season, bringing seven new faces in to bolster this position will be a welcome one. Mataio Soli is a freshman defensive end who was a head hunter, sack artist and a tackling machine out of the Peach State. As a senior Soli was a monster being fed. He recorded 84 total tackles with 60 of those as solo tackles. Soli also had 29 tackles for loss, including 22.5 sacks to go with four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery as a senior. Soli also reeled in some major recognition being named Region 5-6A Player of the Year for the state of Georgia. This boy is strong!

As for my early preseason pick to breakout is wide receiver Mike Woods. Why not go with number 8? Woods will be a serious threat at receiver with his ability to get loose and away from his defender. He also has the ability to plant his foot on his routes, amazing athleticism, blazing 4.43 speed and will catch almost anything thrown his way. Woods recorded 18 receptions for 208 yards and one touchdown in 2018.